Hinge for a sealed container



April 1958 w. L. SLAUGHTER HINGE FOR A SEALED CONTAINER Filed Aug. 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mil/AM Smuawrm A ril 15, 1958 W. L. SLAUGHTER HINGE FOR A SEALED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1956 HINGE FOR A SEALED CONTAINER William L. Slaughter, Green Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, assignor to The Crane & Breed Casket Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 15, 1956, Serial No. 604,263

4 Claims. (Cl. 27-17) This invention relates to a hinge construction for a sealed container such as a casket.

An object of this invention is to provide a hinge con struction for a sealer type casket, or the like, in which all moving parts of the hinge are located inside the casket seal.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hinge of this type in which sections of the hinge are permanently attached to the casket lid and to the casket body and can readily be attached together when the lid is mounted on the body without need for careful aligning of the parts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a casket in which a seal is for-med between inwardly extending registering flanges on the lid and the body and in which the hinge members are attached to the flanges Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing details of con struction of the hinge; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bracket member which forms a part of the hinge.

In the following detailed description and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

in Figs. l-3 inclusive, a lower casket portion or body is indicated at 10 and a cap or lid for the casket is indicated at 11. Only a portion of these parts is shown, as the overall shape and construction thereof is well known. The casket body 10 has side walls 12, end walls 13 (only one of which is shown), and an inwardly extending, horizontal rim or flange 14 mounted on the walls. At the inner edge of flange 14 is provided a downwardly extending edge flange 15. The flange 14 is grooved, as indicated at 16 to receive a sealing gasket 17. It will be understood that the side wall extends down to a bottom or floor (not shown) which connects the lower edges of the side and end walls. The Walls and bottom of the body may be formed of appropriate durable metal.

The cap 11 may be formed of similar durable metal and is provided with an upwardly and inwardly sloping wall 19 and an inwardly extending rim or flange 21 at the open edge of the wall 19. At the inner edge of flange 21 is provided an upwardly and inwardly directed edge flange 22. The rim or flange 21 of the cap registers with a portion of the flange 14 of the casket body when the cap is closed and overlies the groove 16 to engage the scaling gasket 17 and form a seal at the mouth of the casket body 12. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flange United States Patent ice 21 of the cap is somewhat wider than the flange of the body and a portion of the rim 21 adjacent the wall 19 overhangs the edge of the casket body rim.

The cap 11 is supported by a plurality of hinges 24 only one of which is shown. It is to be understood that the cap is provided with a suitable number of hinges, all of which may be similar to the hinge 24.

The hinge structure includes a pivot pin supporting member or plate 26, a bracket 27, and an arched linking member 28. The plate 26 is generally a U-shaped plate having a main portion 26a which is attached to the upper face of the cap flange 21 by welding or the like. Ends of the side arms of the plate 26 are turned as indicated in Fig. 3, to form bearings 29 adjacent the outer edge 30 of the casket cap. As shown in Fig. 1, the bearings 29 are outboard of the flange 14 at the mouth of the casket body.

The bracket 27 includes a body portion 32 which conforms to the shape of and underlies the rim or flange 14 of the body, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. The body portion 32 is welded to'the under side of the flange of the casket body. A flange 33 on the outer edge of the bracket extends downwardly inside the casket body wall 12 and is welded thereto. A return bend portion 35 embraces and is welded to the peripheral body flange 15. The inner end of the return bend portion 35 terminates in a flange 37 which extends upwardly inside of the casket body inboard of the body flange to above the rim 14. The flange 37 may be provided with an upright rib 38 to strengthen it. A pair of spaced bores 39 are provided in the flange 37.

As shown in Fig. 3, the linking member 28 includes a flange 41 having spaced, elongated slots 42 which register with the bores of flange 37. In addition, the linking member includes an upwardly and outwardly extending arched plate portion 44 and a downwardly extending flange 46. The lower edge of the flange 46 is turned to form a bearing portion 47, which registers with the bearings 29. A pivot pin 48 extends through the bearings of the member 26 and through the bearing portion 47. As shown in Fig. 1, the flange 46 is adjacent to the wall of the lid when the lid is closed.

The linking member 28 is attached to the bracket 27 by appropriate machine screws 49, or the like. During manufacture and assembly of the casket, the bracket 27 is welded to the rim of the casket body and the plate 26 is welded to the rim of the cap. The hinge pin and linking member 28 are set in place, and then the cap and casket body are assembled, and the machine screws 49 are set in place. If the parts of the hinge are not in perfect alignment, suflicient play is permitted by the slots to accommodate any deviation in alignment.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a brace consisting of links 51 and 52 may connect the lid and bottom of the casket to hold the lid in elevated position, when raised. The upper end of the link 51 is pivotally attached to the lid, and the lower end of the link 52 is pivotally attached to the casket body. The links 51 and 52 are hinged to each other by an appropriate pivot 53.

A portion of the flange 22 may be cut away, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, to make room for the linking member 28 when the lid is raised as shown in Fig. 2. When the lid is raised, the flange 21 of the lid is adjacent flange 46 of the member 28.

When the lid is closed, the gasket 17 forms a seal between the cap rim or flange 21 and the body rim or flange 14. All of the moving parts of the present hinge structure are located inside the sealing structure so that they are protected from sources of corrosion and attack by ground water and the like.

The hinge structure has been shown in connection with a sealer casket, but may be used with other types of sealed containers.

The hinge structure described above and illustrated in the drawings is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a sealer casket having a body provided with 'an inwardly directed flange at the mouth thereof, a cap having an inwardly directed flange for registering with the body flange, and a gasket for forming a seal between the body flange and the cap flange, of a hinge comprising a bracket attached to the body flange, said bracket having an upstanding flange inboard of the body flange, a pivot pin supporting bracket attached to the flange of the cap, an arched rigid link member, means for attaching one end of the link memberto the flange of the bracket with the link member overlying and spaced from the body flange, a pivot pin mounted on the other end of the link member outboard of the body flange, and means on the pin supporting bracket for receiving the pin, whereby the cap swings around the pin, the hinge being positioned inside the casket when the cap is closed.

2. A hinge construction for a cap of a sealed container, having a body provided with an opening and a hollow cap for closing the opening, there being inwardly directed registering flanges on the body and cap and a gasket for engagement by the flanges to seal the opening between the body, and the cap, said hinge construction comprising a bracket having a portion attached to the side of the body flange remote from, the cap and an up-- standing flange substantially perpendicular to. the body flange, a pivot pin supporting bracket attached to the side of the flange of the cap remote from the body, an arched rigid link member, means for: attaching one end' of, the link member flatwise against the flange of the bracket with the link member overlying and spaced from the body flange, pin receiving means on the other, end of the link member outboard of the body flange, a pivot pin mounted in the pin receiving means, and means on the pin supporting bracket for receiving, the pin, the cap being adapted to swing around the pivot pin,,the hinge being-positioned inside the container when the cap is closed.

3. A hinge construction for a cap of a' sealed casket, having a body provided with an upwardly opening mouth and a hollow cap for closing the mouth, there being inwardly directed registering flanges on the body and cap and a gaskettfor engagement by the flanges to seal the opening between the body and the cap, said hinge construction comprising a bracket having a portion attached to the lower side of the body flange and an upstanding flange, a pivot pin supporting bracket attached to the upper side of the flange of the cap, an arched rigid link member, means for attaching one end of the link. member to the flange of the bracket with the link member overlying and spaced from the bodyflange, pin receiving means on the other end of the link member outboard of the body flange, a pivot pin mounted in the pin receiving means, and means on the pin supporting bracket for receiving the pin, the cap being adapted to swing around the pivot pin, the hinge being positioned inside the casket when the cap is closed.

4. A hinge construction for a cap of a sealed container, having a body provided with an opening and a hollow cap for closing the opening, there being inwardly directed registering flangesv on the body and cap and a gasket for engagement by the flanges to seal the opening between the body and the cap, said hinge construction comprising a bracket attached tothe body flange, said bracket having an upstanding flange substantially perpendicular to the body flange, a pivot pin supporting bracket attached to the flange of the cap, an arched rigid link member, means for attachingv one end of the link member flatwise against the flange of the bracket with the link member overlying and spaced from: the body flange, a pivot pin mounted on the other end of the link member outboard of the. body flange, andmeans on the pin supporting, bracket for receiving. the pin, the cap being adaptedto swing. around the pivot pin, the hinge being positioned inside the container when the cap is closed.

References Citedin the file oftthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 ,152,000 Bowman Aug. 31,.1915 2,179,113 Bates Nov. 7, 1935 2,284,92l Purkiss June 2, 1942 2,319,600 Heath May 18, 1943 

